Test Your NeNo Knowledge

1) If Avalon Housing has 600 people are on its waiting list, and Near North is built, how many people will be left on its waiting list?

a) 300
b) 560
c) 586

2) The eight homes that will be demolished to build Near North have a total of 26 bedrooms. Before 3 Oaks vacated these houses, what was the rent per bedroom?

a) $337 per month
b) $555 per month
c) $774 per month

3) Near North will have 24 “workforce” apartments targeted at people earning no more than 50% of the area’s median income. How much can the developers charge for these units?

a) $337 per month
b) $555 per month
c) $774 per month

4) How many such "workforce" units does the county Affordable Housing Needs Assessment recommend building in the Downtown and Campus areas?

a) 5
b) 50
c) 500

5) Which of these will NOT be part of Near North?

a) housing for people with substance-abuse issues
b) underground parking for every unit
c) a liquor store


Answers:

1) c: 586. The people on Avalon’s waiting list need “supportive” housing. However, Near North will have just 14 “supportive” units.

2) The developers have never revealed how much they charged when they rented the existing houses. However, comparable houses and apartments on this block rent for an average of $337 per bedroom

3) c: $774 per month, including utilities.

4) a: 5 units. The county's Blueprint to End Homeless seeks to add 500 units of "supportive" housing. However, "workforce" units are a much lower priority. The Needs Assessment calls for building 100 citywide, with just 5 in the Downtown and Campus areas.

5) None of the above. Near North will have housing for people with substance-abuse issues, underground parking for every unit, AND a liquor store in the building!


Comments:

1: Many people who support Near North mistakenly assume that it's a classic Avalon project, made up entirely of supportive housing for formerly homeless people. In fact, the building is THREE TIMES the size needed to accommodate its 14 “supportive” residents.

2: The other 26 units are described as “workforce” housing. That is exactly what the existing homes provided--before the developers moved their tenants out.

3: Because 3 Oaks wants to be paid more than $2 million for the property, the "workforce" units will rent for more than many existing Ann Arbor apartments.

4: The study notes that "the private sector and the market will absorb many of the units needed for lower-income households." With 2,000 new student bedrooms recently opened or under constuction, rents are falling citywide.

5: Sad, but true. Contrary to city policy to limit retail sprawl along major arteries, the Near North site plan includes commercial space. The developers have said repeatedly that they want to move the Summit Party Store into the Near North building.